Boat and method of making same



May 1, 1956 D. VOGEL BOAT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Dec. 9, 1955 mmvrox. Vyd

United States Patent BOAT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Dick Vogel, Bemidii, Minn.

Application December 9, 1953, Serial No. 397,130

4 Claims. (Cl. 9--6) My invention relates to the boat making art and more particularly to the method of forming strip boats, the interior and exterior surfaces of which are subsequently covered with and protected by a coating of one of the polyester resins-in which coating preferably a layer of glass cloth or fibre is imbedded.

I am well aware that glass cloth and polyester reinforcing resins have been used to form protective coatlugs for wooden boats--both strip boats and plywood boats. The advantage of strip boats over boats formed from single sheets such as plywood, is that strip boats are formed over templets and may, therefore, be made in precisely the shape desired to accomplish a given type of service. It is to strip boats, that is to boats formed by the securing together in edge to edge abutting relationship, a plurality of elongated longitudinally extended strips of wood, such as cedar, that my invention is directed. Strip boats are conventionally manufactured by substantially the following method and/ or steps:

First the stem and transom are axially aligned with a plurality of spaced, hull-forming templets there-between. Next, and working from the keel area toward the gunwales, a plurality of elongated strips of wood are placed longitudinally in edge to edge abutting relationship against the templets and the intermediate portions of the strips are secured together as by nails, screws, or the like, whereas the opposite end portions thereof are secured to the stern and transom respectively. The next step comprises the positioning to the interior of the boil, as by screws or the like, a number of transverse ribs, the primary purpose of which is to retain the hull in the desired shape of the templets. These transverse ribs are closely spaced longitudinally of the boat, and are extremely costly and time-consuming to install and impart greatly increased weight to the hull. Finally, and after installation of the transverse ribs, the interior and exterior surfaces are coated with an adequate layer of polyester resin in which it is common to imbed one or more layers of glass cloth or glass fibre mats. Under such conditions a most the sole function of the interior and exterior layers of polyester resin is to protect the wood strips without the necessity of paint and other preservatives.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of novel means whereby the final step of applying the costly and weight-adding transverse struts may be eliminated; and whereby a boat of considerably less weight and maneuverability can be produced for as little as 50% 0f the cost of a similar type boat having transverse reinforcing ribs therein.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a novel method for producing boats which is considerably less time-consuming than boats heretofore produced.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

2,743,465 Patented May 1, 1956 Fig. l is a perspective view of a boat formed by my novel method;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a boat in process of construction according to my novel method;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the boat of Fig. 2 but illustrating a further step in my novel method;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the boat of Figs. 2 and 4 but illustrating a subsequent step in my novel method; and

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the lines 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates a conventional stem or bow piece of the boat whereas the numeral 2 indicates the transom. The first step in my novel method consists of aligning the stem 1 and bow piece axially in the desired longitudinally spaced relationship with a plurality of longitudinally spaced templets 3 there-between. The stem 1, transom '2 and templets 3 may be secured in position by any suitable means such as jigs, not shown. Next a plurality of elongated strips 4, of red cedar, or the like, are arranged in edge to edge abutting relationship over the templets 3 from the keel portion 5 in opposite directions to the gunwales 6. Referring to Fig. 6, it will be noted that the strips 4 are secured together along their intermediate portions by nails or the like 7. The opposite end portions of the majority of the strips 4 are secured by screws or the like, not shown, to the stem 1 and transom 2, respectively.

The steps taken and the materials used to this point are conventional in the making of strip boats, with the exception that the strips 4 are cross-sectionally convex along one of the longitudinal edges, as indicated by the numeral 8, and are cross-sectionally concave along their opposite longitudinal edges, as indicated at 9. Again referring to Fig. 6, it will be noted that the radius of the concave surfaces 9 is greater than the radius of the convex surface portions 8 of the adjacent strips and that said strips 4 are so arranged that the convex portions 8 are nestingly received within the concave portions 9 of the adjacent strips whereby the opposing transverse extremities of the edges are spaced apart to define open recesses 10 along their opposite longitudinal edges for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained in greater detail.

in the next step in my method, I place girding means, preferably in the nature of relatively small-diameter wires 11, about the exterior of the intermediate portions of the hull A" to cause said hull A" to retain the shape of the templets 3. Preferably and as shown in Fig. 4, I place transverse spacer means 12 across the gunwales 6 to retain the gunwales 6 in their desired spaced-apart relationship when the templets 3 are next removed. The hull *A" is then in the condition of Fig. 4. At this point the interior and exterior surfaces are sanded. preferably through the medium of a mechanical sander, so as to provide a relatively even contour to said surfaces but leaving same sufl'iciently rough to encourage bonding by the waterproof adhesive which will subsequently be applied thereto.

The next step in my novel method comprises the applying of a liberal coating of waterproof adhesive 13, preterably one of the thermo-setting plastics such as the polyester resins to the sanded interior and exterior surfaces of the hull A, so as to insure that said plastic enters into the open recesses 10 defined by the opposing space transverse extremities of the adjacent longitudinal edges of the strips 4. Next, sheets of fibrous material such as glass cloth are laid over the coating 13 as indicated at 14. It frequently is desirable and may be found necessary to apply as many as three or four thicknesses of the glass cloth along edges and at other points of greatest stress.

Next a final layer or coating of the synthetic resin is applied over the glass cloth layer 14 so as to completely conceal and imbed the glass cloth layer 14 within the coating 15. When the coatings l3 and 15 have set, an extremely hard, tough and durable, protective coating is formed about the interior and exterior surfaces of the hull A and the one or more layers of imbedded glass cloth impart great strength to the hull A.

The girding wires 11 are completely imbedded within the exterior layers, 13, 14 and 1S, and no attempt is made to remove them. Rather, only the portions 16 spanning the gunwales 6 are removed by cutting the wires 11 adjacent the gunwales 6.

The hull A thus formed is adequately strong to rctain itself in the desired shape under any conditions. However, in view of the fact that any boat must have seats, the longitudinally spaced transverse seat elements 17 are secured in position as by screws or the like; and it will be obvious that the seat elements 17 do aid in imparting stability to the hull. the hull A of Fig. 4 may be finished off in any desired manner, such as by the addition of splash rails 18 and enlarged gunwales 19. To accomplish this it is but necessary to drill through the coating 13, 14, and 15 and screws or the like may be caused to engage the wooden strips 4 therebeneath. The elements 18 and 19 may then be completely covered with a coating of synthetic polyester resin so as to protect same from mosisture. If desired, the synthetic resin may be applied by suitable sprayers.

Preferably I temporarily lay smooth sheet material over the exterior coating 15 of the polyester resin while same is still in an unset condition, so as to impart thereto a very smooth surface which will reduce frictional engagement thereof with the water to a minimum. On the other hand, the interior surface of the hull A" is intentionally left rough to prevent accidental slippage thereon by the occupants of the boat.

While I have disclosed the preferred embodiment of practicing my invention, I wish it to be specifically understood that same is capable of modification without departure from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The method of building a carvel type strip hull comprising the steps of forming the hull by placing a plurality of elongated strips in edge to edge abutting relationship with opposing transverse extremities of the edges being spaced apart defining longitudinally extending open recesses, securing said edge abutting strips together, applying a liquid air-setting plastic liberally to the interior surface and into the open recesses of the assembled hull providing a rigid unobstructed interior hull surface permanently retaining the original desired shape imparted to the hull without the aid of additional longitudinally spaced transversely extending ribs.

2. A carvel type boat-hull having a substantially unobstructed interior surface defined by a plurality of Also, as shown in Fig. 1, a

elongated strips secured together in edge to edge abutting relationship with the opposing transverse extremities of the edges spaced apart defining longitudinal extending recesses, plastic material completely filling said recesses and coating the interior surface of said hull, said plastic material causing said hull to retain the desired original shape imparted thereto without the aid of additional longitudinally spaced transversely extending ribs.

3. A carvel type boat-hull having a substantially unobstructed interior surface defined by a plurality of elongated strips secured together in edge to edge abutting relationship, said abutting edges having different crosssectional configuration positioning opposing transverse extremities of the edges of said strips in spaced relationship defining longitudinal extending recesses, plastic material completely filling said recesses and coating the interior surface of said hull, said plastic material causing the hull to permanently retain the desired shape originally imparted thereto without the aid of additional longitudinally spaced transversely extending ribs.

4. A carvel type boat-hull having substantially unobstructed interior and exterior surfaces defined by a plurality of elongated strips, each of said strips having one longitudinal edge surface cross-sectionally convex and another longitudinal edge surface cross-seetionally concave with the radius of the concave surface being greater than the radius of the convex surface, said strips being secured together in edge to edge abutting relationship with the concave surfaces of the strips being received in the convex surfaces of the next adjacent strips, the radius differential of said concave and convex surfaces positioning opposed transverse extremities of the edges of said strips in spaced relationship defining longitudinally extending inner and outer open recesses, plastic material completely filling said open recesses and coating the interior and exterior surfaces of said hull, said plastic ma terial causing the hull to permanently retain the desired shape originally imparted thereto without the said of additional longitudinally spaced transversely extending ribs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 348,424 Shears Aug. 31, 1886 578,239 House Mar. 2, 1897 803,607 Leavitt Nov. 7, 1905 1,637,973 Thompson Aug. 2, 1927 1,913,095 Suenson June 6, 1933 2,411,497 Barnes Nov. 26, 1946 2,417,586 Crosley Mar. 18, 1947 2,426,729 Davidson Sept. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 282,996 Great Britain Jan. 5, 1928 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Plastics, December 1950, page 75. 

